Starter for explosive-engines.



W. H. ENDERS. STARTER FOR BXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.12,1914.

1, 1'7,21, Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. ENDERS.

STARTER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. 7

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12.'1914.

1 ,1 "7,2 1 2. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM H. ENDERS', 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

STARTER FOR EXPLQSIVE-ENGIN ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915..

Application filed January 12, 1914. Serial No. 811,698.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. 'ENDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Start ers for Explosive-Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in starting'devices for explosive engines and is more particularly designed for use in connection with automobile motors.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a starter of the character described which will exert a continuous movement upon the engine shaft until compression within the cylinders becomes active.

A secondary object is to provide a simply constructed and efficient clutch mechanism whereby the cranking shaft may be connected with the drive shaft of the engine.

Still another object is to provide simple means whereby, should the motor back the, no serious injury will be imparted to the starting device.

With the above objects in view, the inventionresides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein describedand claimed and shown in the drawing s wherein;

F'gure 1 is a plan view of a'portion of an automobile chassis showing my improvedstarrter applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 33' of Fig". 1; Fig. 4" is a detail vertical section on theline l4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the pawl and ratchet mechanism showing the; same disassembled.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I have shown diagrammatically an automobile chassis 1' comprisingthe usual longitudinal bars 2, a front cross bar 3 and an intermediate crossbar 4 between the bar '3 and the rear end" of the machine. 7

Secured in the rear of the cross bar 4 and to" the inner side of one of the longitudinal bars 2, is an inwardly projecting journal shaft 5' the inner end of which is supported in a bearing yoke 6', the ends of which are bolted to the bar 2. Revolubly mounted upon the shaft 5 are outer and inner sprocket wheels 7 and 8 respectively, said sprocket wheels being recessed on their opposing faces and provided with oppositely pitched ratchet teeth 9 and 10 with which oppositely facing dogs 11 and 12, pivoted at the lower end to a lever 13 are adapted to co-a'ct in a manner to be explained.

The lever 13 comprises alower section 11 which is journaled around the shaft 5 and an upper section 15 which has a sliding engagement with the section 14:. By this construction of the lever, I am enabled to lengthen or shorten the power arm thereof.

Revolubly and slidably mounted within the front crossbar 3, is a cranking shaft 16 which is provided on its inner end with a clutch element 17 and on its outer end' with a crank handle 18. A curved bracket 19- is secured to the upper face of the bar 3 and projects upwardly a suitable distance above the shaft 16' and carries a pivot pin 20 on which is pivoted the upper end of acurved lever 21 which depends therefrom, has an eye 22 surrounding the shaft 16 and then projects still farther downwardly fora purpose to appear. A sprocket wheel 23 is loosely mounted upon the shaft16 between the eye 22 and the cross bar 3, said wheel 4 being connected to the shaft by means ofa fragile pin 24 which passes through its hub and through said shaft. Inorder to maintain the shaft 16 and the clutch member 17 in a normally retracted position, I provide a light coil spring 25 between the bar 3 and the gear 23; I also dispose a rather heavy coil spring 26 between the hub of said which is looped around a guide pulley 28 which is adjustahly mounted on a bracket 2-9 extendingrearwardly from the cross bar .41, said chain extending rearwardly from said sprocket 28 and being passed around the rear portions .of said sprockets 7 and 8 from which the chain then. continues forwardly as most clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and is passed around a guide pulley 30 and a guide sprocket 31 disposed below said pulley, the remaining portion of said chain extending transversely inward from the guides 30 and 3] and being looped around said sprocket 23. By so mounting the chain 27, it will be seen that rotation of the sprocket wheels 7 and 8 upon a transverse axis may be imparted to the sprocket wheel 23 for rotating the longitudinal cranking shaft 16 to crank the motor M when said shaft 16, the clutch member 17 thereon, and the sprocket wheel 23 are. shifted as a single unit by means to be described.

As above stated, the guide sprocket is adjustably mounted upon the bracket 29 and as clearly shown in the drawings, this adjustment is secured by slotting the end of the bracket 29 as at 34: and passing the journal bolt 35 of the sprocket28 through this slot and threading a nut thereon. By this feature of construction, I am enabled to compensate for any stretching of the chain 27 or if necessary, for the action of heat or cold thereon.

In the-operation of the device, the lever 13 is oscillated, this action causing the'dogs 11 and 12 to alternately engage the teeth on the sprocket wheels 7 and Sand thus drive one of said wheels in a clockwise direction upon the forward movement of the lever and drive the other wheel in a counter-clockwise direction when the lever is moved backwardly. This action of the sprocket wheels 7 and 8 will cause the chaing- 27 to travel around its various guides and transmit mo.- tion to the sprocket wheel 23 on the shaft 16Which, by this time, has been thrown inwardly by means of a foot lever 36 connected to the lower end of the lever 21 b a cable 37, so that the clutch member 1 engages a radial pin P carried by the end of the drive shaft S of the motor M. Thus it will be seen that as long as the foot lever 36 is rocked in the proper direction and the lever 13 is oscillated, the cranking shaft 16 and the drive shaft S will be rotated, it being understood that this action is continued until the compression within the enginecylinders becomes active and operates the pistons to drive the shaft S in the usual manner.

It may here be explained that, the sprocket wheels 7 and 8 drive the portions of the chain, passing thereover in opposite directions, this being necessary in order that tlzr'egear 23 may be turned in one direction .onaccount of the fact that the chain must pass on and ofi of said sprocket 23 in order to allow this movement and that this movement of the chain, in passing around said sprocket 23, causes one side thereof to move in one direction while the opposite side moves in a reverse direction.

When the foot lever 36 is pushed forwardly, a rearward pull is exerted upon the cable 37 which motion in transmitted to the lower end of the lever 21. It will thus be clear that said lever will be rocked around the pivot pin 20 and will, through the action of the spring 26, force the gear 23, the shaft 16 and the clutch member inwardly. This movement compresses the spring 25 which does not become active until pressure is released from the lever 36 whereupon it returns the above mentioned parts to their normal positions.

With the parts operating and cranking the motor, should said motor back fire, the fragile pin 24 (the only connection between the sprocket wheel 23 and the shaft 16) will be broken. Thus the remaining parts of the starting device will remain unin ured and a new pin may quickly and easily be substituted for the one, broken. This I consider a very important feature of my invention since it obviates the danger of back fire now prevalent with devices of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, sprocket wheels revolubly mounted thereon, internally toothed rings on said wheels, the teeth thereof being oppositely pitched, a lever journaled on said shaft and having oppositelyfacing dogs in engagement with said teeth, chain guides, a cranking shaft, a sprocket wheel thereon, and an endless chain passing around said guides and said first and second mentioned sprocket wheels for the purpose set forth. 2. A device of the character. described comprising a pair of revolubly mounted sprocket wheels, a guide adjustable toward or from the same, a lever, co-acting means on said lever and said wheels for independently rotating said wheels in reverse directions, a slidably mounted engine cranking shaft, an engine shaft, coacting clutch elements on said shafts, a sprocket wheel fixed on said cranking shaft, an endless chain passing around said first and second mentioned s rocket wheels and said guide, and means or projecting and retracting said cranking shaft for the purpose set forth.

3. A device of the character described comprising a bearing, a cranking shaft slidable therein, a clutch element on said shaft,

a sprocket wheel secured to said shaft, a

a and said clutch element, an endless chain thereto and having an eye surrounding said In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cranking shaft, a heavi coil spring between may hand in presence of two subscribing said eye and said sproc nected to said lever for projecting said shaft passing' around said sprocket wheel, and means for driving said chain.

'et Wheel, means con- Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ENDERS.

Witnesses 

